


Under the Weather

by aprime810



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Illness, M/M, Medication
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-12
Updated: 2016-12-12
Packaged: 2018-09-08 01:39:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8825146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aprime810/pseuds/aprime810
Summary: Bertholdt catches a cold but doesn't want to believe he's that sick. Reiner knows better.My submission for the Day 4 prompt of Bertcember!





	

A fit of coughing snapped Reiner's attention away from his dinner. He frowned at the muffled noise. Bertholdt had been hidden away in his bedroom all evening, nursing a cold he'd picked up earlier. Reiner hadn't seen much of him since he'd come home, only offering him soup when he first arrived and noting that his forehead seemed a little warm. Bertholdt had insisted he didn't feel that bad, but these coughs were new. He sure didn't seem to be improving. Reiner stuck his plate in the dishwasher and headed down the hall to see how Bertholdt was feeling.

He found Bertholdt hunched over on his bed, bundled up in a blanket and surrounded by wads of used tissue. A book lay open but ignored in front of him. As Reiner walked in, Bertholdt glanced over with tired eyes and sniffled, his nose red and irritated. He looked miserable.

"How're you doing, Bertl?" Reiner asked, rubbing his boyfriend's back.

Bertholdt groaned. "Th' soup helped m' throat a lil'... Buh m' nose's worse. Can' breathe."

He grabbed a new tissue and tried to clear out his nose, making a loud, ugly honking sound that hurt Reiner's heart. Bertholdt let out a pitiful moan as he balled up the tissue and tossed it with the others.

Reiner slid his hand under Bertholdt's bangs, checking his temperature and letting him rest his forehead against his palm. He rumbled in concern as soon as he felt the heat radiating off of Bertholdt's skin. The fever was getting worse.

"You're still burning up," Reiner murmured. Bertholdt just sniffled again and continued to take quick, ragged breaths through his mouth. Reiner moved his hands down to cup Bertholdt's face and met his exhausted gaze. Those big green eyes had started to glaze over. "You really should go to bed and get some sleep."

"Buh 'm reading..." Bertholdt muttered, fumbling around for the book on the bed. The book that he hadn't given any thought to before that moment.

"I seriously doubt you can read anything right now," Reiner said as he reached out and closed it. Bertholdt shot him a dirty look but Reiner just gestured to the bathroom expectantly. "Come on, go get ready. Some medicine would help too."

With a few more coughs, Bertholdt slid off the bed and shuffled out of the room, still wrapped in his blanket. Reiner swept the tissues into the trash and cleaned off the bed. As usual, Bertholdt was trying to downplay how he felt so Reiner wouldn't worry. But he was only going to get worse and he wouldn't do anyone any good by getting too sick to function. He was just stuck in denial at this point.

Once he'd gotten Bertholdt's room ready, Reiner said his goodnights as he watched his boyfriend finish brushing his teeth and go to bed. He turned off the light and shut the door before heading back to his own room to finish homework.

...But he couldn't focus. Every time he got settled back into concentration, a burst of coughing from Bertholdt's room would jolt him back out. Each one sounded worse and more painful than the last. Why wasn't the medicine working? After almost an hour with no improvements, Reiner finally got up to go check on Bertholdt.

"Hey..." he said softly as he opened the door and approached the pile of blankets on the bed.

The figure inside let out a groan and rolled over, watery green eyes squinting at the light from the doorway.

"Didn't you take medicine earlier?" Reiner asked, brushing Bertholdt's hair out of his face.

Bertholdt coughed again and sniffled, but wouldn't meet his eyes. "...Yeah..."

Reiner scowled and crossed his arms.

"...Okay, no..." a small voice finally replied.

Reiner sighed in exasperation. "Why not?"

"Ih'll make me tired... 'n I gotta go t' class t'morrow..."

"Bertholdt, no. You're not going anywhere. You're too sick and there's no way you'll be fine by morning."

"Buh-"

"No. You need to rest."

Bertholdt started to object again before another coughing fit suddenly struck him. Reiner gently rubbed his shoulder while he curled up into a ball and rode it out. Poor guy.

Once he was sure Bertholdt had caught his breath, Reiner fetched him medication and a glass of water. This was the only way Bertholdt could get better quickly and actually get some sleep that night. They both knew that. Bertholdt gave Reiner one last miserable look before accepting the pills and swallowing them in defeat.

With a grunt of approval, Reiner took a seat on the bed and wrapped his arms around Bertholdt.

"Nooo..." Bertholdt croaked, trying to struggle out of Reiner's embrace and push him away. His weak protests failed. "Yuh'll geh sick too..."

"I'll be fine," Reiner said, starting to stroke Bertholdt's hair. "Just calm down and go to sleep."

Another moan left Bertholdt's sore throat, followed closely by a loud sniffle. But he began to relax, resting his head on Reiner's chest with a tired sigh. He snuggled closer to Reiner's warm torso and let all the tension seep out of his body while Reiner massaged his shoulders and neck. It only took a few minutes - and a few more coughs - for Bertholdt's labored breathing to slow as he fell into a deep slumber.

Very carefully, Reiner moved out from under Bertholdt and got him settled back into bed, replacing his pillow and blankets without waking him. Before he left, Reiner took a moment to run his fingers through his boyfriend's hair one last time. Bertholdt's nose was still forcing him to breathe through his mouth, but at least the coughing had subsided a bit. His forehead was beginning to cool off too.

Reiner couldn't help but smile. Of course he'd been right about the medicine. He'd be sure to give Bertholdt a hard time the next day.

But for now, he'd let him rest.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! :)


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